surname
UK /ˈsɜːˌneɪm/ · US /ˈsɝˌneɪm/ noun, verb
Forms surnames surnaming surnamed sirname sur-name
- noun The portion of a person's name that is generally hereditary or treated as an indicator of a person's family, which may be shared with other members of the family, or otherwise derived from their names in some fashion; distinguished from that person's given name(s). “James is my first name, and Smith is my surname.”
- noun (obsolete) Synonym of epithet, an additional name, particularly those derived from a birthplace, quality, or achievement.
- noun (obsolete) Synonym of nickname, an additional name given to a person, place, or thing, a byname.
- noun (Classical studies) The cognomen of Roman names.
- verb (transitive) To give a surname to.
- verb (transitive) To call by a surname.
Synonyms
epithet nickname byname cognomen family name last name to-name
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English surname, a partial calque of Old French surnum, surnoun (“surname; nickname”) (whence Middle English surnoun), from Late Latin supernōmen, suprānōmen (“surname”), from super- (“over, above, beyond”) and nōmen (“name”), equivalent to sur- + name.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A name or appellation which is added to, or over and above, the baptismal or Christian name, and becomes a family name.
- noun An appellation added to the original name; an agnomen. "My surname, Coriolanus." Shak.
- verb To name or call by an appellation added to the original name; to give a surname to. Another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord, and surname himself by the name of Israel. Isa. xliv. 5.
Etymology [Pref. sur + name; really a substitution for OE. sournoun, from F. surnom. See Sur-, and Noun, Name.]
Etymology [Cf. F. surnommer.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “surname”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details